RECENT COLLEGE GRAD: Here's The Real Reason Why Wall Street Is Luring Away The Best Minds Of Our Generation

Flickr/Sarah G...
In a guest column for Dealbook, recent graduate Laura Newland points out that it is not just the appeal of the big paycheck that allows Wall Street to lure away so many recent graduates of top-tier universities, it's also the recruiting process itself that takes advantage of a students' competitive edge by giving them an empty goal to chase.

Her point is best summed up in this paragraph:

They and their Ivy-pedigreed employees bombard campuses for weeks to shower us with fancy dinners, lavish trips to Manhattan and promises of a challenging, rewarding career. They tap into our competitiveness, so their internship programs begin recruiting us as sophomores, knowing that if we are offered opportunities to build our résumés, we won't just apply, but we'll commit ourselves so fully that we'll mistake our desire to win the race with a desire for what it is we're chasing.

Newland herself graduated from Duke University in 2010 with a job offer from an investment bank, but turned it down to pursue other opportunities.